Objective

The Security Cooperation Management Policy, Programs, and Planning (SCM-P3) Course provides a functional knowledge of security assistance/security cooperation planning considerations, authorities, funding and roles of the Department of State (DoS), Department of Defense (DoD), and other members of the U.S. government interagency.

This course meets International Program Security (IPS) training requirements of DoD Directive 5230.20.

Course Description

Instruction is provided on the many complex and interrelated aspects of security assistance and security cooperation. These include the role of the Department of State in foreign policy, that of the Department of Defense in national defense, and that of the Congress in the areas of authorization, appropriation, and oversight. The functions and responsibilities of the geographic combatant commands, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), and the Military Departments (MILDEP) are also addressed. The syllabus (below) lists the various topics covered in this course. The emphasis of the curriculum is on the roles, planning considerations, authorities, funding, policies and procedures involved in the management of security assistance and security cooperation programs/activities in a headquarters staff environment.

Classes sponsored by a geographic combatant command or one of its components tend to have a regional focus and emphasis. It includes guest speakers from the command and integrate presentations from headquarter staff personnel on the practical application of the various programs/activities in a particular region.

Continuous Learning Points

Graduates of this course may use the hours associated as Continuous Learning Points (CLPs, CEPs, etc.) for various professional
development programs. Specific hours, by course, are listed at Continuous Learning Points.

Ace Equivalency Course Information

Eligibility Criteria

Only USG employees and contractor equivalents are eligible for attendance. Officials of other federal government agencies, such as the Department of State, U.S. Agency for International Development and Department of Commerce, may also enroll in the course.

All DoD personnel assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) staff, Joint Staff (JS), Military Department (MILDEP) Headquarter staffs, Geographic and Functional Combatant Commands, DoD component commands, other DoD entities (i.e. including training and education institutions) and interagency staffs who have a role and/or responsibility in Security Assistance / Security Cooperation are encouraged to attend.

This course is NOT intended for personnel who have been selected to fill overseas Security Cooperation Organization (SCO) positions responsible for security assistance and security cooperation management. SCO personnel are required by DoDI 5132.13 to complete the SCM-O course. Selected SCO personnel may, with the recommendation of their Geographic Combatant Command and the approval of DSCA, attend this course in lieu of SCM-O.

A SECRET clearance is required for all students. This class is NOT open for Foreign Service Nationals.

DISCS Funding and Ground Transportation

DISCS pays all travel and administrative support cost for its’ faculty to support these classes. Additionally, DISCS will fund limited student travel on a case-by-case basis.

Uniform and Dress Requirements

For U.S. military personnel, any duty uniform prescribed by their service is appropriate. For USG civilians and USG contractors, appropriate business casual office attire is appropriate.

Classes and Hours

SCM-P3 holds classes daily on normal USG workdays. Classes begin at 0800 each day with the academic portion ending between 1630 and 1700. Students must finish all classroom and on-line lessons before certificates of graduation will be awarded. Day 5 may last until 1630; students should plan accordingly when scheduling airline flight departures. DISCS does not authorize early departures except in a bona fide emergency.

Security Cooporation Workforce Development (SCWD) Database

Requests for DISCS courses will be compared with individual training requirements prescribed by organizations within the Security Cooporation Workforce Development (SCWD) Database. Military service quota managers and supervisors endorsing training requests should validate individual training requests from the SCWD Database prior to submitting a student nomination for training. Requests for training above the required level for the prospective student’s position will be allocated on a “space available” basis. DISCS may also “bump” requests for “desired” training to accommodate “required” training as designated within SCWD. For
further information on the SCWD Database please contact your military service/agency POC, your organizational quota manager or the Registrar.

International Programs Security Certification

In accordance with Deputy Secretary of Defense Memorandum, 22 October 1999, Training International Security and Foreign Disclosure Support to International Programs, all DoD employees involved in international programs must receive training in International Programs Security. SCM-P3 is certified to meet the requirements of this training. Students who successfully complete SCM-P3 receive a certificate to that affect.

International Affairs Certification Program (IACP)

The Department of Defense International Affairs, Certification Program
Guidelines
dated 28 April 2008, set forth standardized certification guidelines for the International Affairs Certification Program (IACP). Workforce members are required to meet the mandatory standards of education, training, and experience in order to achieve each of three levels of certification.

Certification is not required for filling IA positions, but it does readily identify those individuals who have completed specific training, education, and experience thresholds. Certification is
available to military and civilian personnel. Click here for more information.

Web Related

Use of this DoD computer system, authorized or unauthorized, constitutes consent to monitoring of this system. Unauthorized use may subject you to criminal prosecution. Evidence of
unauthorized use collected during monitoring may be used for administrative, criminal, or other adverse action. Use of this system constitutes consent to monitoring for these purposes.

Web Related

Use of this DoD computer system, authorized or unauthorized, constitutes consent to monitoring of this system. Unauthorized use may subject you to criminal prosecution. Evidence of
unauthorized use collected during monitoring may be used for administrative, criminal, or other adverse action. Use of this system constitutes consent to monitoring for these purposes.

Commandant's Message

I'm hoping that you've not had issues finding us! As you can tell by our new website -- The Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management (DISAM) transitioned to the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies (DISCS). This became effective 1 July 2016, and comes as DSCA more closely aligns the schoolhouse, its curriculum, and its mission priorities with DOD strategic guidance, and DSCA's vision for the future. The name change reflects DSCA's focus on full spectrum capability building and that the schoolhouse's mandate for training the workforce has expanded beyond Security Assistance to include all of Security Cooperation.

There are a number of transitional issues in progress and we will work with various constituencies and other supporting organizations to be as seamless as possible in our support to you. As you can see, the Institute’s website has a new URL of www.iscs.dsca.mil. In terms of you contacting DISCS, please note that "Group e-mail addresses" (such as the Registrar’s Office) will change as soon as we can work through the IT wickets, but old group email addresses should work after the change for some time. All email addresses and phone numbers for institute personnel remain the same as they were prior to changing our name to the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies. Note that there have been no changes to course designations or names of the courses offered by the Institute.

This is an exciting time for the Defense Institute of Security Cooperation Studies and we looking forward to continuing our long-standing service to the security cooperation workforce for years to come as we keep pace with the environment impacting all of you as our constituents.

Commandant's Message

A lot has happened since my last update here, and I will only hit the highlights. Work continues as things push forward on the SC Workforce Development Program (SCWDP) effort per the
guidance in NDAA 2017. I won’t try to address it here – I won’t do it justice in such a short column. However, I’d note that for the most current information – the work of the SCWDP Working
Group (and its three Sub-Working Groups and 5 Lines of Effort), are available via a periodic newsletter published by DSCA. If you’d like the most recent edition, please let me know.

In a major realignment to better support DSCA’s efforts to develop the Departments’ Security Cooperation Workforce Development program, the Defense Institute of Security
Cooperation Studies has fallen under the Security Cooperation Workforce Development Directorate as of 2 June 2017. This move aligns all SC training, education and certification programs under
the Directorate developing and managing the DoD SCWDP and facilitates greater engagement and support for development of the future SC education and training policies and programs as well as
the development of the Defense Security Cooperation University.

DISCS has begun efforts for its satellite campus in the National Capital Region – with Mr. Dan Eagle on board as our new Director of Strategy Instruction and the process ongoing to bring
on four more faculty (in the process of bringing on three faculty members that will be in place there permanently as we look at existing and new courses that would be most effective in conducting
there (several classes now offered there vice our main campus at WPAFB).

In the realm of courseware/class changes – the SCM-O (Overseas) Course has changed its scheme to where all students now attend for the full four weeks. The syllabus has changed and
is current on our website.

We are in the process of our cycle for programming DISCS activities/academic calendar for FY18 – really looking to “bridge the gap” between current SC community/enterprise education
and training requirements – which are significant – and ultimately get us to where we need to be in the schoolhouse efforts directed by NDAA 2017. One key thing for you to note – as a potential
student – we often have unused seats in our classes at Wright-Patt. If you need training and can’t seem to get a seat, please let us/me know. We’ll work with your chain of command to get you a
seat in the class that is required for you.

I’ll stop there and set a goal of updating the CC Corner at least monthly to keep you informed in a more timely way in this fast-paced environment.